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E46 (1999 - 2006) The fourth generation 3 Series (E46 chassis) was introduced in 1999 and set the standard for engineering and performance during it's years of production including being named to Car & Driver's 10 best list every one of those years! ! -- View the E46 Wiki

A few minutes ago, I went outside to the parking lot to start my car. Upon doing so, I immediately noticed that something was wrong with it.

Instead of the familiar unobtrusive purr from the inline six that I'm used to, there is an unpleasant, deep, low-frequency vibration and rumbling noise that sounds and feels more like an old American V8. It might be pleasant in another car, but definitely not in mine...

The engine also feels noticeably more sluggish - I tried revving it a little, and even with a not-unsubstantial stab at the gas pedal the RPMs barely rose to 2000. Stopping the engine and restarting it (I tried several times) had no effect. I opened the hood, intending to see if I could see/hear anything amiss, and noticed that the noise was almost undetectable when listening to the engine directly - it was most pronounced at the rear of the car, by the exhaust pipes.

I let the car idle for a minute or two, hoping it would go away, but then the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. I also began hearing a strange scratching/squeaking noise coming from what seemed like just in front of the instrument panel, so I killed the engine. I'm not really sure if that's at all related, though - my climate control system often makes similar noises while the car is still cold.

Any idea what the problem could be? Does it sound like an ignition coil? My car is a 2003 325Ci with a stick and about 41,000 miles.

It happened to my car once. I started, engine service warning came on, felt like it's running on 4 cylinders. I killed the engine, restarted, and it went away. I thought it was the software problem. My car only has 3500 miles on it. Something I got to keep an eye on.

I had the same problem with my X5 3.0 (2nd time now). The crank case ventilation valve freezes during a cold spell. You start the engine and it feels like it is running on 3 cylinders. The engine light also appears. After 30 minutes of chugging, it defrosts and the engine runs properly.

BMW just fixed mine for free (warranty already expired) so there must be some sort of recall. They also replaced the oil because it was contaminated with water. They said the engine will be damaged if you don't get this fixed promptly.

It's been below freezing here in Cambridge for the past few days, but this morning the temperature was up to 40. My car has been through nasty below-freezing weather before though, so I don't think that's what caused the problem.

This morning I started it again, with the same results. I called the dealership (luckily their service department is open on Saturday), and Roadside Assistance sent out a tow truck. Hopefully they'll have it fixed by Monday.

So, five hours after I dropped the car off, I got a call from my SA at Herb Chambers saying it had been fixed. They replaced all six ignition coils, and fixed several other little issues that had been bothering me as well.

I was a little apprehensive about giving the car to Herb Chambers, since I'd heard horror stories about them, but I didn't have much of a choice since the second-nearest dealership is about thirty miles away.

However, I couldn't be happier with the job they did - even though I'm rather young and didn't buy the car from them, they treated me with respect and courtesy, and got the job done faster than they promised. My SA even waited for me to arrive to pick the car up for an hour past their normal closing time. They also respected my request to not wash the car, something that most dealerships seem to have trouble with.

Same thing happened to me a few months back...it is your ignition coils. After my car was flat-bedded to the dealership, I had it back the same afternoon. They replaced all six coils. Car (at least it seems to me) runs better now than ever before.

Same thing happened to me a few months back...it is your ignition coils. After my car was flat-bedded to the dealership, I had it back the same afternoon. They replaced all six coils. Car (at least it seems to me) runs better now than ever before.

Good luck!

did you pay for any of these or was your car still under warranty? i am having similar symptoms in my 2000 328i.

So, five hours after I dropped the car off, I got a call from my SA at Herb Chambers saying it had been fixed. They replaced all six ignition coils, and fixed several other little issues that had been bothering me as well.

I was a little apprehensive about giving the car to Herb Chambers, since I'd heard horror stories about them, but I didn't have much of a choice since the second-nearest dealership is about thirty miles away.

However, I couldn't be happier with the job they did - even though I'm rather young and didn't buy the car from them, they treated me with respect and courtesy, and got the job done faster than they promised. My SA even waited for me to arrive to pick the car up for an hour past their normal closing time. They also respected my request to not wash the car, something that most dealerships seem to have trouble with.

All's right with my world again.

Glad to hear that everything turned out well for you. HC seems to have made improvements in both their service and sales personnel. There are still one or two dinosaurs there who will treat you like crap, but it's good to see that an effort is being made to turn the ship around. By the way, what was the name of your SA? I bought my car there, but only brought it in for service once.

Well I just got the exact same problem when I started my car today. Too bad it's the weekend and I won't be able to call the dealer to get an appointment until at least Monday, do you guys think it's bad for me to drive the car w/ bad coils over the weekend? I am talking about just short trips to the grocery store and etc... ?

Just happened to my '03 325i this morning. Never happened before, and after about 30 seconds, it stopped on its own. Very unpleasant. Given that it went away, do you think I should still have it checked out?